Red Riding Hood

Chapter Five

Sometimes things happen that are out of our control.
And sometimes there is nothing we can do to fix them.

 

Everything is a blurred haze when Scarlet’s eyes flutter open slowly, her surroundings slowing coming into focus. “Morning sleeping beauty.” Scarlet rolls her head over to see her grandmother standing in the door way to her room.

“What…happened?” She grabs her throat as it feels like she’s swallowing tiny shards of glass as she speaks.

“Here, drink.” Her grandmother lifts a cup to her dry lips. Water flows down Scarlet’s stinging throat, washing away the tiny shards of glass.  “Better?” She asks and Scarlet nods slightly as she finishes the water. “Good.” She says as she strokes the side of her granddaughter’s face. Scarlet forces a smile across her lips but it only lasts for a second before every facial muscle she has starts to pull her lips into a grimace. Every fibre of her body begins to throb with a dull pain. Scarlet moans in agony and tries to sit herself up but her grandmother just pushes her back down. “Not so fast.” She places pillows behind her head.

“What happened?” Scarlet asks again, this time her voice is more audible.

“The wolf attacked.” She pauses. “It ripped through the side of house and made its way under the house until the trap. It ripped through that as well.” Scarlet closes her eyes as the memories come rushing back.

“I knew I hated the trap for a reason.” Scarlet laughs slightly but her grandmother doesn’t

“Grey and his hunting party got here just in time. They heard the howling, like the rest of the town, and then heard you and your brother.” She pushes wisps of black hair away from Scarlet’s face. “Grey pulled you out of the trap and then went after the wolf.”

“Is he alright? Did they get it?” Scarlet forces herself to ask even though she’s terrified of the answer.

“Grey is fine, he’s downstairs.” She pauses. “And as for the wolf, it got away.” Scarlet stares at the celling.

“Okay…” Scarlet trails off, not knowing what to say.

“Everyone’s been coming by to see how you are.” Her grandmother changes the subject.

“Really?” Scarlet seems surprised.

“Really.” Her grandmother cocks an eyebrow in remembrance. “Oh, and a young man stopped by. A stranger, saying that his name was Luca.” Scarlet can hear the lecture forming in her grandmother’s throat. “You wouldn’t know anything about him, would you?” Her grandmother leans over her.

“Um…”  Scarlet murmurs as she tries to pull a pillow over her head.